Waterproofing composition for fibrous materials



may first place in the vat 20 parts by weig UNITED" STATES a 'rENT OFFICE.

HARRY L BUCK NEB, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, AND EDMUND BUQKE, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

WATERPROOFING COMPOSITION FOR FIBROUS MATERIALS.

Ho Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARRY L. BUCKNER and EDMUND BURKE, citizens of the United States, and respectively residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, and at Portland in the count of Cumberland, and State of Maine, have invented new and useful 1m rovements in Waterproofing Uompostions or Fibrous Materials, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a water-repellent composition which may be used for treating and waterproofing fabrics of various kinds, such as felt, paper, woven fabrics textile belts, paper tubing and the t is desirable that such impregnating composition should, for the purposes mentioned, possess a fairly high coefficient of pliability, should be resistant to oxidation so as to withstand weathering, and should be capable of permeating the pores and interstices of the article treated therewith.

We have found that such a composition ma be prepared by blending hard asphalt an crude petrolatum or petroleum grease as it is sometimes called. These two substances are mixed together in the desired proportions, and the mixture may be softened and rendered plastic by heat conducted and radiated from pipes containing steam under pressure. The petroleum grease appears to have a moderate solvent action upon the hard asphalt. The composition or mixture thus formed may be thinned b a suitable solvent so as to render it high y liquid at a fairly'low temperature.

In practice, we lace in a kettle equipped with a steam coi suitable proportions o gilsonite and petroleum grease, and these substances are heated with steam at a pressure of approximately 80 pounds. :"After the entire mass has been thorou hly softened and rendered plastic, we add t ereto a sufficient quantity of solvent to thin the mass sufficiently so that it will readily permeate the material to be treated. For example, vlvle t of (petroleum grease to 60 parts of gilsonite, an then as the solvent or thinner may ad 20 parts of gasolene. Instead of (gasolene, however, other solvents may be use such as turpentine, benz ol, or a mixture of gasolene and kerosene or other equivalent solvents.

Specification of Letteralatent.

Appliuatlon'flied December 18,

-ing and using the same,

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

1919. Serial No. 345,235.

Gasolene is one of the cheapest materials that may be used for this purpose, and hence it is important that the composition should be of such character as to be heated without the application of a flame such as might ignite any vapors. While the mixture is in its thin heated condition, the articles to be treated may be coated therewith or may be dizpped into the vat containing the mixture.

e have found that relatively thick paper board, paper tubing, and other fairly hard bodies may be saturated or impregnated with the compositiouafter-a short period of immersion, the length of time required also depending on the hardness or'density of the article to be filled. This period, however, may be decreased by carrying on the impregnatign ,under pressure.

The composition, as herein described, is

particularly applicable for treating textile belts, as it retains its flexibility and does not crack and harden even after long usagp. This composition can also be applied to t e surface of a belt in a cold state, the number of coats depending on the protective surface required. t may also be used as a protective for metals. When exposed to the the composition is not appreciably but retains its relatively soft and flexible characteristics. The composition furthermore has decided advantages for insulating purposes. It may be used in the manufacture of insulatin tapes and may be also employed for coating wires. By increasing the proportion of petroleum rease, a softer composition is produced; w ereas, by increasin the proportion of the gilsonite, a relatively arder but still flexible composition results. Instead of gilsonite, any other hard asphalt, either natural or artificial, may be employed.

It is quite evident that to the basic mixture of ilsonite and petroleum grease (or other residuum resultin from the distillation of petroleum) other ingredients may be added, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth in the claims.

Having thus explained the nature of our said invention and described 'a wa of makalthoug without forth all of the forms in all of the modes of coating weather, oxidized attempting to set which it may be made or its use, what we claim is:

1. A composition for treating fibrous and other materials comprising hard asphalt blended with petroleum grease. 2. A composition for treating fibrous an other materials comprising hard asphalt 5 blended with petroleum grease and thlnned by a suitable solvent.

3. A composition for impregnating fibrous materials, comprising about 20 parts of petroleum grease, 60 parts of gilsonite and 20 arts of gasolene. 10 n testimony whereof We have affixed our signatures.

HARRY L. BUUKNER. EDMUND BURKE. 

